Solenoid valve driving circuit and solenoid valve

• US 7,903,383 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yoshida, Masami, Fukano, Yoshihiro, Oide, Shigeharu, Doi, Yoshitada
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US12/140,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20090015979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 361/152
• US Class Current: 361/152
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2007/1888 using pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1811 demagnetising upon switching off, removing residual magnetism
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1844 Monitoring or fail-safe circuits for relays H01H47/002

Abstract

A current detection circuit generates a pulse signal Sd based on a voltage Vd corresponding to a current I flowing through a solenoid coil, and feeds the pulse signal Sd back to a PWM circuit of a switch controller. The PWM circuit generates a pulse signal Sr having a predetermined duty ratio, based on a comparison between the fed back pulse signal Sd and a voltage value corresponding to a first current value or a second current value, and supplies the pulse signal Sr to a pulse supplying unit. The pulse supplying unit supplies the pulse signal Sr as a first pulse signal S1 and/or a second pulse signal S2 to a gate terminal G of a MOSFET.

Claims

1. A solenoid valve driving circuit in which, after a first voltage is impressed on a solenoid coil of a solenoid valve for driving said solenoid valve, a second voltage is impressed on said solenoid coil and a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained,

the solenoid valve driving circuit being electrically connected, respectively, to a direct current power source and to said solenoid coil, and further comprising a switch controller, a switch, and a current detector,

wherein said current detector detects a current flowing through said solenoid coil, and outputs a detection result, as a current detection value, to said switch controller,

wherein said switch controller generates a first pulse signal based on a comparison between a predetermined activation current value and said current detection value, and a second pulse signal based on a comparison between a predetermined holding current value and said current detection value, and supplies said first pulse signal and said second pulse signal to said switch, and

wherein said switch applies a power source voltage of said direct current power source as said first voltage to said solenoid coil during a time period when said first pulse signal is supplied thereto, and applies said power source voltage as said second voltage to said solenoid coil during a time period when said second pulse signal is supplied thereto.

2. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said switch controller comprises:

a single pulse generating circuit for generating a single pulse;

a short pulse generating circuit, which, during a time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, generates a first short pulse having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of said single pulse based on a comparison between said activation current value and said current detection value, whilst, during a time period in which a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, generates a second short pulse having a pulse width shorter than said pulse width of said first short pulse based on a comparison between said holding current value and said current detection value; and

a pulse supplying unit, which, during the time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, supplies said first short pulse to said switch as said first pulse signal after said single pulse has been supplied to said switch as said first pulse signal, whilst, during the time period in which the driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, supplies said second short pulse to said switch as said second pulse signal.

3. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said switch controller comprises:

a single pulse generating circuit for generating a single pulse;

a repeating pulse generating circuit, which, during a time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, generates a first repeating pulse having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of said single pulse based on a comparison between said activation current value and said current detection value, whilst, during a time period in which a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, generates a second repeating pulse having a pulse width shorter than said pulse width of said first repeating pulse based on a comparison between said holding current value and said current detection value; and

a pulse supplying unit, which, during the time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, supplies said first repeating pulse to said switch as said first pulse signal after said single pulse has been supplied to said switch as said first pulse signal, whilst, during the time period in which the driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, supplies said second repeating pulse to said switch as said second pulse signal.

10. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said switch controller adjusts the pulse width of said second pulse signal based on a vibration detection value from a vibration detector, which detects vibration of said solenoid valve.

11. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

an energization time calculator for calculating an energization time of said solenoid coil inside of a one-time operating period of said solenoid valve based on said current detection value;

an energization time memory for storing said energization time; and

an energization time determining unit for calculating a total energization time of said solenoid coil from each of respective energization times stored in said energization time memory, and determining whether or not said total energization time is longer than a predetermined first energization time,

wherein said energization time determining unit outputs a pulse width change signal to said switch controller instructing that the pulse width of said first pulse signal be changed, when it is determined that said total energization time is longer than said first energization time, and

wherein said switch controller lengthens the pulse width of said first pulse signal based on said pulse width change signal.

12. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 11, wherein said energization time determining unit externally outputs a usage limit notification signal notifying that said solenoid valve has reached a usage limit, when it is determined that said total energization time is longer than a second energization time, which is set to be longer than said first energization time.

13. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a solenoid valve operation detector for detecting that said solenoid valve is under operation based on said current detection value;

a detection result memory for storing a detection result of said solenoid valve operation detector; and

an accumulated number of operation times determining unit for calculating an accumulated number of operation times of said solenoid valve from each of respective detection results stored in said detection result memory, and determining whether or not said accumulated number of operation times exceeds a predetermined first number of operation times,

wherein said accumulated number of operation times determining unit outputs a pulse width change signal to said switch controller instructing that the pulse width of said first pulse signal be changed, when it is determined that said accumulated number of operation times exceeds said first number of operation times, and

wherein said switch controller lengthens the pulse width of said first pulse signal based on said pulse width change signal.

14. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 13, wherein said accumulated number of operation times determining unit externally outputs a usage limit notification signal notifying that said solenoid valve has reached a usage limit, when it is determined that said accumulated number of operation times exceeds a second number of operation times, which is set to be greater than said first number of operation times.

15. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a current detection value monitoring unit for monitoring a decrease in said current detection value during a time period in which said solenoid valve is driven,

wherein said current detection value monitoring unit externally outputs a time delay notification signal for notifying that a time delay was generated in a time period from a drive start time of said solenoid valve to a time at which said current detection value decreases, when it is determined that said time period is longer than a predetermined set time period.

16. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light-emitting diode capable of emitting light when said current flows through said solenoid coil,

wherein a series circuit made up of said light-emitting diode and said switch controller, and said solenoid coil, are electrically connected in parallel with respect to said direct current power source.

17. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a resistor capable of adjusting an inrush current that flows to said switch controller at a drive start time of said solenoid valve, so as to be below a maximum value of current flowing through said solenoid coil,

wherein a series circuit made up of said resistor and said switch controller, and said solenoid coil, are electrically connected in parallel with respect to said direct current power source.

18. A solenoid valve having the solenoid valve driving circuit as set forth in claim 1.

4. A solenoid valve driving circuit in which, after a first voltage is impressed on a solenoid coil of a solenoid valve for driving said solenoid valve, a second voltage is impressed on said solenoid coil and a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained,

the solenoid valve driving circuit being electrically connected, respectively, to a direct current power source and to said solenoid coil, and further comprising a switch controller, a switch, and a current detector,

wherein said current detector detects a current flowing through said solenoid coil, and outputs a detection result, as a current detection value, to said switch controller,

wherein said switch controller generates a first pulse signal based on a comparison between a predetermined activation current value and said current detection value, and a predetermined second pulse signal, and supplies said first pulse signal and said second pulse signal to said switch, and

wherein said switch applies a power source voltage of said direct current power source as said first voltage to said solenoid coil during a time period when said first pulse signal is supplied thereto, and applies said power source voltage as said second voltage to said solenoid coil during a time period when said second pulse signal is supplied thereto.

5. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 4, wherein said switch controller comprises:

a single pulse generating circuit for generating a single pulse;

a short pulse generating circuit, which, during a time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, generates a first short pulse having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of said single pulse based on a comparison between said activation current value and said current detection value, whilst, during a time period in which a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, generates a predetermined second short pulse having a pulse width shorter than said pulse width of said first short pulse; and

a pulse supplying unit, which, during the time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, supplies said first short pulse to said switch as said first pulse signal after said single pulse has been supplied to said switch as said first pulse signal, whilst, during the time period in which the driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, supplies said second short pulse to said switch as said second pulse signal.

6. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 4, wherein said switch controller comprises:

a single pulse generating circuit for generating a single pulse;

a repeating pulse generating circuit, which, during a time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, generates a first repeating pulse having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of said single pulse based on a comparison between said activation current value and said current detection value, whilst, during a time period in which a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, generates a predetermined second repeating pulse having a pulse width shorter than said pulse width of said first repeating pulse; and

a pulse supplying unit, which, during the time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, supplies said first repeating pulse to said switch as said first pulse signal after said single pulse has been supplied to said switch as said first pulse signal, whilst, during the time period in which the driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, supplies said second repeating pulse to said switch as said second pulse signal.

7. A solenoid valve driving circuit in which, after a first voltage is impressed on a solenoid coil of a solenoid valve for driving said solenoid valve, a second voltage is impressed on said solenoid coil and a driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained,

the solenoid valve driving circuit being electrically connected, respectively, to a direct current power source and to said solenoid coil, and further comprising a switch controller, a switch, and a current detector,

wherein said current detector detects a current flowing through said solenoid coil, and outputs a detection result, as a current detection value, to said switch controller,

wherein said switch controller generates a predetermined first pulse signal, and a second pulse signal based on a comparison between a predetermined holding current value and said current detection value, and supplies said first pulse signal and said second pulse signal to said switch, and

wherein said switch applies a power source voltage of said direct current power source as said first voltage to said solenoid coil during a time period when said first pulse signal is supplied thereto, and applies said power source voltage as said second voltage to said solenoid coil during a time period when said second pulse signal is supplied thereto.

8. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 7, wherein said switch controller comprises:

a single pulse generating circuit for generating a single pulse;

a short pulse generating circuit, which generates a short pulse having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of said single pulse based on a comparison between said holding current value and said current detection value; and

a pulse supplying unit, which, during the time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, supplies said single pulse to said switch as said first pulse signal, whilst, during the time period in which the driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, supplies said short pulse to said switch as said second pulse signal.

9. The solenoid valve driving circuit according to claim 7, wherein said switch controller comprises:

a single pulse generating circuit for generating a single pulse;

a repeating pulse generating circuit, which generates a repeating pulse having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of said single pulse based on a comparison between said holding current value and said current detection value; and

a pulse supplying unit, which, during the time period in which said solenoid valve is driven, supplies said single pulse to said switch as said first pulse signal, whilst, during the time period in which the driven state of said solenoid valve is maintained, supplies said repeating pulse to said switch as said second pulse signal.