ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT

• US 20150092310A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ecom instruments GmbH (Pepperl+Fuchs Se)
• Original Assignee: ecom instruments GmbH (Pepperl+Fuchs Se)
• Inventors: Sack, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 9,985,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/71
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/05 with means for increasing reliability, e.g. redundancy arrangements for logic circuits H03K19/003
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/06 with automatic reconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/008 Intrinsically safe circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic circuit arrangement may include a first and a second electrical supply line for connecting an electronic device with a rechargeable battery. The first electrical supply line may be connected at one end with the rechargeable electric battery and at the other end with the electronic device for supplying electric energy. At least two switching elements may be provided in the first electrical supply line, which each may be switchable between an open state, in which the respective switching element electrically interrupts the first supply line, and a closed state. The electronic circuit arrangement may include a protective circuit arrangement and a reset circuit arrangement.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit arrangement for use in a potentially explosive atmosphere, comprising:

a first electrical supply line and a second electrical supply line for connecting an electronic device with a rechargeable battery, wherein the first electrical supply line is connected at one end with the rechargeable electric battery and at the other end with the electronic device for supplying electric energy,

at least two switching elements provided in the first electrical supply line, where each is switch able between an open state, in which the respective switching element electrically interrupts the first supply line, and a closed state,

a protective circuit arrangement, which if an error condition occurs at least one of in the rechargeable battery and in the electronic device, the protective circuit arrangement switches the at least two switching elements into the opened state, so that the electric current flow through the electrical first supply line is interrupted, and

a reset circuit arrangement, which is configured such that in an electrically interrupted state of the first electrical supply line, when the electronic device is connected to an external charging device, the reset circuit arrangement switches the switching elements into the closed state so that the electrical interruption in the first electrical supply line is cancelled.

2. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the reset circuit arrangement and the protective circuit arrangement are connected to a common electric mass potential.

3. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the protective circuit arrangement includes an electric current sensor provided in the first electrical supply line such that the electric current flowing through the first electrical supply line can be determined, and

the protective circuit arrangement cooperates with the electric current sensor and the at least two switching elements such that if a predetermined electric threshold current ascertained via the electric current sensor is exceeded, the protective circuit arrangement switches the at least two switching elements into the opened state, so that the electric current flow through the first electrical supply line is interrupted.

4. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a first partial circuit arrangement, which on an input side includes an electric signal connection and on an output side is electrically connected and respectively cooperates with the at least two switching elements such that, if a reset signal is present at the electrical signal connection, the reset circuit arrangement switches the at least two switching elements into the closed state.

5. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 4,

wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a second partial circuit arrangement, which includes an output connection and first and second input connections,

wherein the output connection of the second partial circuit arrangement is electrically connected with the electric signal connection of the first partial circuit arrangement,

the first input connection is coupled with the at least two switching elements such that a first activation signal is provided at the first input connection if at least one of the switching elements is in the opened state,

wherein the second input connection is coupled with the first electrical supply line such that when the electronic device is connected to the external charging device, a second activation signal is provided, and

the second partial circuit arrangement is configured such that when the first and second activation signals are present at both input connections the reset signal is generated at the output connection.

6. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the protective circuit arrangement includes:

at least two separate control units for each of the switching elements, wherein each control unit switches the switching element associated with it into the opened state, when the protective circuit arrangement determines that the predetermined electric threshold current in the first electrical supply line has been exceeded, and

a coupling device, which couples the at least two control units with each other such that when one switching element is switched into the opened state by the control unit associated with the switching element, the at least one remaining control unit is controlled via the coupling device to switch the switching element associated with the at least one remaining control unit also into the opened state at a time delay.

7. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 5,

wherein the first electrical supply line is connected with the second supply line of the rechargeable battery via a voltage divider circuit, and

the voltage divider circuit includes an electrical series connection with a first and a second electric resistance, wherein a connecting element is provided between the two electric resistances, which is electrically connected with the second input connection.

8. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the first electric resistance is 1 ohm and the second electric resistance is 1 ohm.

9. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein exactly three electrical series-connected switching elements are provided in the first electrical supply line.

10. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least two switching elements are configured as field effect transistors, wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a first partial circuit arrangement for switching the field effect transistors between the opened and the closed state, wherein the first partial circuit arrangement is respectively connected electrically with a gate connection of the field effect transistors.

12. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein exactly three electrical series-connected switching elements are provided in the first electrical supply line.

13. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the at least two switching elements are configured as field effect transistors, wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a first partial circuit arrangement for switching the field effect transistors between the opened and the closed state, wherein the first partial circuit arrangement is respectively connected electrically with a gate connection of the field effect transistors.

14. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a first partial circuit arrangement, which on an input side has an electrical signal connection and on an output side is electrically connected to the at least two switching element, wherein the reset circuit arrangement switches the at least two switching elements into the closed state in response to detecting a reset signal present at the electrical signal connection.

15. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the first electrical supply line is connected with the second supply line of rechargeable battery via a voltage divider circuit;

and

the voltage divider circuit includes an electrical series connection with a first and a second electric resistance, wherein a connecting element is provided between the first and second resistances, the connecting element connected electrically with a second input connection of the reset circuit arrangement.

16. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the first electric resistance is 1 ohm and the second electric resistance is 1 ohm.

17. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the three switching elements are configured as field effect transistors, wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a first partial circuit arrangement for switching the field effect transistors between the opened and closed state, wherein the first partial circuit arrangement is connected electrically with a gate connection of the field effect transistors.

11. (canceled)

18. An electronic circuit arrangement, comprising:

a first electrical supply line and a second electrical supply line for connecting an electronic device to a rechargeable battery, wherein the first electrical supply line is connected at one end with the rechargeable electric battery and at the other end with the electronic device for supplying energy;

at least two switching elements provided in the first electrical supply line, the switching elements each switchable between an open state, in which the respective switching elements electrically interrupt the first electrical supply line, and a closed state, in which an electrical connection between the rechargeable battery and the electronic device is established;

a protective circuit arrangement configured to switch the at least two switching elements into the opened state to interrupt the electric current flow in the first electrical supply line if an error condition occurs in at least one of the rechargeable battery and the electronic device, the protective circuit arrangement including;

an electric current sensor in communication with the first electrical supply line to determine the electric current flowing through the first electrical supply line, wherein the protective circuit arrangement switches the at least two switching elements into the opened state to interrupt the electric current flowing through the first electrical supply line in response to detecting a predetermined electric current threshold has been exceeded; and

a reset circuit arrangement configured to, in an electrically interrupted state of the first electrical supply line, switch the switching elements into the closed state to cancel the electrical interruption when the electronic device is connected to an external charging device, wherein the reset circuit arrangement includes a first partial circuit arrangement, which on an input side has an electric signal connection and on an output side is electrically connected and cooperates with the at least two switching element to switch the switching elements into the closed state if a reset signal is present at the electrical signal connection.

19. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the reset circuit arrangement and the protective circuit arrangement are connected to a common electric mass potential.

20. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18, wherein exactly three electrical series-connected switching elements are provided in the first electrical supply line.

21. The electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the protective circuit arrangement includes:

at least two separate control units associated with respective switching elements, wherein each control unit switches the associated switch into the opened state in response to exceeding the predetermined electric current threshold in the first electrical supply line; and

a coupling device which couples the at least two control units with each other such that when one switching element is switched into the opened state by the associated control unit, the at least one remaining control unit is controlled via the coupling unit to switch the associated switching element into the opened state at a time delay.