Temporary voltage supply

• US 7,888,817 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme Fur Nutzfahrzeuge GMBH (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme Fur Nutzfahrzeuge GMBH (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Miller, Bernhard, Herges, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/138,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 307 64- 66
• US Class Current: 307/64
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

A temporary voltage supply for a consumer includes a switching device with an auxiliary power supply; a control device supplied by the auxiliary power supply if an operating power supply fails; and a switching device which is activated by the control device and actuates the consumer via auxiliary power from the auxiliary power supply. The auxiliary power supply is configured in such a manner that, upon request, by actuation of a switch, the control device is provided with a sufficient amount of power for a final operating sequence after the operating power supply fails.

Claims

1. A temporary voltage supply for a load, comprising:

a first switching device including an auxiliary power supply;

a control device operatively configured to be supplied with auxiliary power by the auxiliary power supply if an operating power supply fails; and

a second switching device operatively configured for actuation by the control device, the second switching device activating the load via the auxiliary power from the auxiliary power supply;

wherein the auxiliary power supply is operatively configured such that sufficient power is made available to the control device on request by actuating a switch disposed in the first switching device to provide sufficient power for a final operating sequence after failure of the operating power supply.

2. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first switching device has a diode arrangement with a low cut-off current, which counteracts self-discharging of the auxiliary power supply.

3. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 2, wherein the diode arrangement is activated automatically if the operating power supply fails.

4. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 2, wherein the auxiliary power supply and the diode arrangement are arranged in an immediate vicinity of the switch.

5. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power supply is a capacitor.

6. The temporary power supply as claimed in claim 5, wherein the capacitor is an electrolytic capacitor having a voltage of the order of magnitude of 40 V and a capacitance of the order of magnitude of 3000 μ

F.

7. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 1, wherein self-discharging of the auxiliary power supply is monitored by the control device.

8. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control device senses the self-discharging of the auxiliary power supply by temporarily disconnecting a charge circuit of the auxiliary power supply and measuring a voltage which occurs at the auxiliary power supply after a predetermined time.

9. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device determines an available energy of the auxiliary power supply by monitoring a voltage drop between the operating power supply and a voltage at the first switching device and calculating a charge current from the voltage drop between the operating power supply and the voltage and/or by monitoring the charge time up to the time when a fully charged state of the capacitor is reached.

10. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power supply is continuously connected to the operating power supply.

11. The temporary voltage supply as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power supply is regularly disconnected from the operating power supply for a predetermined time via a second switch in the control device.