Electromagnetic contactor and a method of controlling the same

• US 5,737,172 A
• Filed: 07/14/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Engineering Co Ltd (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohtsuka, Shigeharu
• Primary Examiner(s): FLEMING, FRITZ M
• Application Number:
  US08/502,666
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 307/128, 361/152-154, 361/160, 361/185-187, 361/184, 361/190
• US Class Current: 361/154
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/002 Monitoring or fail-safe circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/325 by switching regulator

Abstract

An electromagnetic contactor to which voltage generated through full wave rectification of an alternating current or DC voltage is loaded. The device provides control for a closing operation with a large pulse width according to a set-up frequency and control for maintaining the closed state of the electromagnetic contactor with a small pulse width for executing ON/OFF control. The device comprises a detector for detecting a peak voltage value of the voltage subjected to full wave rectification and an average value or an effective value thereof and a controller for stabilizing the input at a constant level by controlling a pulse width of a frequency set up based on a voltage value detected by the detector.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic contactor, to which an input voltage is loaded and having a coil, comprising:

detector means for detecting a peak voltage value of said input voltage and for detecting an average value of said input voltage, wherein said input voltage is one of a full wave rectified alternating current and a DC voltage,

switching means, responsive to an operating signal, for controlling operation of said electromagnetic contactor; and

a controller for generating said operating signal and for stabilizing input power supplied to said coil at a constant level by controlling a pulse width of said operating signal based on said peak voltage value and said average value of said input voltage detected by said detector means.

2. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein said controller is arranged to differentiate when said pulse width is set up for implementing a closed state by closing said electromagnetic contactor and when said pulse width is set up for maintaining said closed state.

3. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein said pulse width decreases in inverse proportion to said peak voltage value and said average value of said input voltage.

4. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for generating a reference wave comprising three acute angles each corresponding to a respective frequency,

means for generating a first reference pulse for implementing said closed state,

means for generating a second reference pulse for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor,

said first reference pulse and said second reference pulse being generated according to a building up and a lagging edge of said reference wave and being generated according to a result of a comparison of said said peak voltage value and said average value of said input voltage detected by said detector means with said reference wave, and

means for generating control pulses for closing and maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a decreasing function that is associated with an increase of said peak voltage value.

5. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for generating a reference wave that comprises three acute angles each corresponding to a respective frequency,

means for generating a first reference pulse for closing said electromagnetic contactor according to a building up of said reference wave,

means for generating a second reference pulse for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a lagging edge of said reference wave, said first reference reference pulse and said second reference pulse being generated according to a comparison of said peak voltage value and said average value of said input voltage with said reference wave, and

means for generating a control pulse for controlling one of closing and maintaining of said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a function that is decreasing in accordance with increases of said peak voltage value.

6. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for providing a plurality of minimum operation reference voltage values, each for generating a control pulse for effecting a closing operation of said electromagnetic contactor when said electromagnetic contactor is to be closed, to start an operation for closing said electromagnetic contactor, one of said minimum operation reference voltage values being selected according to said peak voltage value and said average value.

7. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 6, further comprising voltage determining means for determining whether said input voltage is said full wave rectification alternating current and when said input voltage is said DC current;

and

outputting a signal indicating a detected input voltage.

8. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 7, wherein said means for providing said plurality of said minimum operation reference voltage values is responsive to said signal output by said voltage determining means, and wherein said minimum operation voltage value is selected in accordance with said signal.

9. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for selecting a maximum release reference voltage value from among a plurality of maximum release reference voltage values, each for stopping an operation for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor when said electromagnetic contactor is to be maintained in said closed state to start release of said electromagnetic contactor, said maximum release reference voltage value being selected according to one of said peak voltage value and said average value of said input voltage.

10. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 9, further comprising voltage determining means for determining whether said input voltage is said full wave rectification alternating current and when said input voltage is said DC current;

and

outputting a signal indicating a detected input voltage.

11. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 10, wherein said means for providing said plurality of said maximum release operation reference voltage values is responsive to said signal output by said voltage determining means, and wherein said maximum release operation voltage value is selected in accordance with said signal.

12. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, further comprising:

timer means for determining a starting point of contact for closing said electromagnetic contactor wherein said pulse width becomes smaller than an original level just before said starting point of contact, and said pulse width is restored to the original level just after said starting point of contact.

13. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic contactor comprises:

a movable section, and

a movable section displacement detector which detects, when said electromagnetic contactor is in a state of being closed, a position of said movable section, wherein said pulse width of said operating signal becomes smaller just before said starting point of contact and said pulse width is restored to an original level just after said starting point of contact.

14. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic contactor comprises:

a movable iron core,

a fixed iron core, and

a timer,

wherein when said electromagnetic contactor is in a state of being closed, said pulse width of said operating signal becomes smaller than an original pulse width just before collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core and said pulse width is restored to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

15. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic contactor comprises:

a movable section having a movable iron core, a fixed iron core, a movable section displacement detecting means and a timer, and wherein when said electromagnetic contactor is in a state of being closed, a position of said movable section is detected by said movable section displacement detecting means and wherein said controller is arranged so that said pulse width becomes smaller than an original pulse width just before collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and said pulse width is restored to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

16. A method of controlling an electromagnetic contactor, to which an input voltage is loaded, comprising the steps of:

detecting a peak voltage value of said input voltage, said input voltage being one of a full wave rectification of an alternating current and a DC voltage;

generating an operating signal based upon said peak voltage value;

stabilizing input power, supplied to said electromagnetic contactor, at a constant level in accordance with said operating signal;

wherein a closing operation is performed when said operating signal has a first pulse width, and wherein a closed state of said electromagnetic contactor is maintained when said operating signal has a second pulse width; and

controlling ON time of said electromagnetic contactor based on said peak voltage value.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of differentiating said first pulse width for closing said electromagnetic contactor from said second pulse width for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor, wherein said second pulse width is smaller than said first pulse width.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein a pulse width for said peak voltage value decreases in inverse proportion to said input voltage.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

generating a reference wave having three acute angles each corresponding to a frequency,

generating reference pulses for closing and for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a building up and lagging edge of said reference wave,

said step of generating said reference pulses comprising the step of comparing said peak voltage value and said reference wave, and

generating control pulses for closing and maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

generating a reference wave having three acute angles each corresponding to a respective frequency,

generating a first reference pulse and a second reference pulse for respectively closing and for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a building up and lagging edge of said reference wave, respectively, said step of generating said first and second reference pulses comprising the step of comparing said peak voltage value and said reference wave, and

generating control pulses for closing maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

21. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of minimum operation reference voltage values, each for generating a control pulse for closing said electromagnetic contactor, to start the operation for closing said electromagnetic contactor, and

selecting one of said minimum operation reference voltage values according to said peak voltage value and an average value of said input voltage.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

detecting whether said input voltage is a full wave rectification alternating current and when said input voltage is a DC current; and

outputting a signal indicating a detected input voltage.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said step of providing a plurality of said minimum operation reference voltage values comprises providing said minimum operation reference voltage values in accordance with said signal indicating said detected input voltage, wherein said minimum operation voltage value is selected in accordance with said signal.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of maximum release reference voltage values, each for stopping an operation for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor when said electromagnetic contactor is to be maintained in said closed state, to start release of said electromagnetic contactor, and

selecting one of said maximum release reference voltage values according to said peak voltage value and an average value of said input voltage.

25. The electromagnetic contactor according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of detecting whether said input voltage is a full wave rectification alternating current and when said input voltage is a DC current;

and

outputting a signal indicating a detected input voltage.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said step of providing a plurality of said maximum release operation reference voltage values comprises providing said maximum release operation reference voltage values in accordance with said signal indicating said detected input voltage, wherein said maximum release operation voltage value is selected in accordance with said signal.

27. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

generating said operating signal wherein said first pulse width is reduced from an original pulse width just before a time, set by said timer, for starting a point of contact for initiating closure of said electromagnetic contactor, and restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after starting of said point of contact.

28. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a movable section by a movable section displacement detector when a closing operation of said electromagnetic contactor is initiated,

reducing said pulse width from an original pulse width just before a time for starting contact, and

restoring said pulse width to said original pulse width just after said starting of contact.

29. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width value, just before a time, set by a timer, for collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

30. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a movable section,

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width value, just before a time for collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

31. A method of controlling an electromagnetic contactor to which an input voltage is loaded, comprising the steps of:

detecting a peak voltage value of said input voltage;

generating an operating signal in accordance with said peak voltage value, for closing said electromagnetic contactor, having a first pulse width;

reducing said first pulse width of said operating signal to a second pulse width for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor to perform ON/OFF control of said electromagnetic contactor, and

setting switching elements, connected in series to an operational coil, to an OFF state when said input voltage is not sufficient to drive said electromagnetic contactor.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of differentiating said first pulse width for closing said electromagnetic contactor from said second pulse width for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein said first pulse width and said second pulse width decreases in inverse proportion to said input voltage.

34. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

generating a reference wave having three acute angles each corresponding to a frequency,

generating references pulses for respectively closing said electromagnetic contactor and for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a building up and lagging edge of said reference wave, respectively, wherein said step of generating reference pulses comprises the step of comparing a peak voltage value of said input signal and said reference wave, and

generating control pulses for respectively closing said electromagnetic contactor and maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

35. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

generating a reference wave having three acute angles each corresponding to a frequency,

generating a first reference pulse and a second reference pulse for respectively closing said electromagnetic contactor and for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic controller according to a building up and lagging edge of said reference wave, respectively,

wherein said step of generating said first and second reference pulses comprises the step of comparing a peak voltage value of said input signal and said reference wave, and

generating control pulses for closing said electromagnetic contactor and maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

36. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of minimum operation reference voltage values, each for generating a control pulse for closing said electromagnetic contactor, to start the operation for closing said electromagnetic contactor, and

selecting one of said minimum operation reference voltage values according to a peak value of said input voltage and an average value of said input voltage.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising the steps of detecting whether said input voltage is a full wave rectification alternating current and when said input voltage is a DC current;

and

outputting a signal indicating a detected input voltage.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said step of providing a plurality of said minimum operation reference voltage values comprises providing said minimum operation reference voltage values in accordance with said signal indicating said detected input voltage, wherein said minimum release operation voltage value is selected in accordance with said signal.

39. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of maximum release reference voltage values, each for stopping an operation for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to control pulses for maintenance when said electromagnetic contactor is to be maintained in said closed state, to start release of said electromagnetic contactor, and

selecting one of said maximum release reference voltage values according to a peak value of said input voltage and an average value of said input voltage.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising the steps of detecting whether said input voltage is a full wave rectification alternating current and when said input voltage is a DC current;

and

outputting a signal indicating a detected input voltage.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said step of providing a plurality of said maximum release operation reference voltage values comprises providing said maximum release operation reference voltage values in accordance with said signal indicating said detected input voltage, wherein said maximum release operation voltage value is selected in accordance with said signal.

42. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time set by a timer for starting contact for closing said electromagnetic contactor, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after said starting of contact.

43. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a movable section by a movable section displacement detector,

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time for starting contact for closing said electromagnetic contactor, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after said start of contact.

44. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time set by a timer for collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

45. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a movable section,

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time for collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

46. A method of controlling an electromagnetic contactor having a movable section having a movable iron core, a fixed iron core, and a timer, said electromagnetic contactor being operable in at least a closing state and a maintaining state for ON/OFF control, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an input voltage through one of full wave rectification of an alternating current and a DC voltage,

controlling said closing state with an operating signal, determined in accordance with a peak voltage value of said input voltage and supplied to switching means, having a first pulse width;

controlling said maintaining state with said operating signal having a second pulse width, which is smaller than said first pulse width, for maintaining said closing state of said electromagnetic contactor,

generating control pulses for obtaining said closing state for the first time when a peak value of said input voltage exceeds a preset minimum operation reference voltage value to start a closing operation,

generating an auxiliary closing signal for flowing a current in an operation coil in said electromagnetic contactor during detection of said peak value of said input voltage, and

controlling said operation coil in said electromagnetic contactor according to one of a logical product of said control pulses, said auxiliary closing signal and a switching command.

47. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the step of differentiating said first pulse width for closing said electromagnetic contactor from said second pulse width for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

48. The method according to claim 46, wherein said first pulse width and said second pulse width for said operating signal decreases in inverse proportion to said input voltage.

49. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

generating a reference wave having three acute angles each corresponding to a frequency,

generating references pulses for respectively closing said electromagnetic contactor and for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to a building up and lagging edge of said reference wave, respectively, wherein said step of generating reference pulses comprises the step of comparing a peak voltage value of said input voltage and said reference wave, and

generating control pulses for respectively closing said electromagnetic contactor and maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

50. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

generating a reference wave having three acute angles each corresponding to a frequency,

generating a first reference pulse and a second reference pulse for respectively closing said electromagnetic contactor and for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic controller according to a building up and lagging edge of said reference wave, respectively,

wherein said step of generating said first and second reference pulses comprises the step of comparing a peak voltage value of said input voltage and said reference wave, and

generating control pulses for closing said electromagnetic contactor and maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor.

51. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of minimum operation reference voltage values, each for generating a control pulse for closing said electromagnetic contactor, to start the operation for closing said electromagnetic contactor, and

selecting one of said minimum operation reference voltage values according to a peak value of said input voltage and an average value of said input voltage.

52. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of maximum release reference voltage values, each for stopping an operation for maintaining said closed state of said electromagnetic contactor according to control pulses for maintenance when said electromagnetic contactor is to be maintained in said closed state, to start release of said electromagnetic contactor, and

selecting one of said maximum release reference voltage values according to a peak value of said input voltage and an average value of said input voltage.

53. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time set by a timer for starting contact for closing said electromagnetic contactor, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after said starting of contact.

54. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a movable section by a movable section displacement detector,

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time for starting contact for closing said electromagnetic contactor and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after said start of contact.

55. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time set by a timer for collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and

restoring said first pulse width to original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.

56. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a position of a movable section,

reducing said first pulse width from an original pulse width, just before a time set by a timer for collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core, and

restoring said first pulse width to said original pulse width just after collision of said movable iron core and said fixed iron core.