OVER CURRENT PROTECTION APPARATUS

• US 20130222960A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Powerset Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cheon Young Yun
• Inventors: HWANG, Kyu Min
• Granted Patent: US 9,148,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/081 and depending on the direction
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/087 for dc applications
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/093 with timing means in general H02H3/027; thermal delay H02H3/085; timing means for undervoltage protection H02H3/247
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/02 responsive to excess current current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025

Abstract

Provided is an over-current protection apparatus including a current sensor configured to transform input current into a voltage signal, and output the voltage signal; an over-current sensing unit driven according to the voltage signal output from the current sensor; and an over-current determination unit configured to generate a switching unit driving signal, the logic level of which is determined according to a duration of an output signal of the over-current sensing unit.

Claims

1. An over-current protection apparatus comprising:

a current sensor configured to transform input current into a voltage signal, and output the voltage signal;

an over-current sensing unit driven according to the voltage signal output from the current sensor; and

an over-current determination unit configured to generate a switching unit driving signal, the logic level of which is determined according to a duration of an output signal of the over-current sensing unit.

2. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is one of a hall sensor, a current transformer, and a resistor.

3. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the over-current sensing unit comprises an optical switching device.

4. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the over-current sensing unit comprises:

a current-amount control unit configured to determine an amount of current to be supplied to the optical switching device according to the voltage signal output from the current sensor;

an optical switching device driven in response to the voltage signal, the level of which is controlled by the current-amount control unit; and

a pull-down unit connected between an output terminal and an input terminal of the optical switching device.

5. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the optical switching device is a photo coupler.

6. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switching device is a photo metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS).

7. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the current-amount control unit comprises a resistor.

8. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the output signal of the over-current sensing unit is maintained for a predetermined time or more, the over-current determination unit outputs the switching unit driving signal for turning off a switching unit.

9. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 8, wherein the over-current determination unit comprises:

a logic device configured to receive a signal output via an output terminal of the over-current sensing unit, as a first input signal; and

a delayer circuit configured to delay the output signal of the over-current sensing unit for a predetermined time, and provide the delayed output signal as a second input signal to be supplied to the logic device.

10. An over-current protection apparatus comprising:

a current sensor configured to transform input current into a voltage signal, and output the voltage signal; and

a plurality of over-current control circuits connected in parallel between a switching unit, which is connected to a current supply line of a target device to be protected, and the current sensor.

11. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of over-current control circuits comprises:

an over-current sensing unit driven according to the voltage signal output from the current sensor; and

an over-current determination unit configured to generate a switching unit driving signal, the logic level of which is determined according to a duration of an output signal of the over-current sensing unit.

12. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the over-current sensing unit comprises an optical switching device.

13. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the over-current determination unit outputs the switching unit driving signal for turning off a switching unit when the output signal of the over-current sensing unit is maintained for a predetermined time or more.

14. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 10, wherein the current sensor is one of a hall sensor, a current transformer, and a resistor.

15. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an analog buffer unit connected between the current sensor and the plurality of over-current control circuits.

16. An over-current protection apparatus comprising:

a current sensor configured to transform input current into a voltage signal, and output the voltage signal;

a first over-current control circuit configured to control a first switching unit by detecting whether over-current is generated in a forward current path of the current sensor; and

a second over-current control circuit configured to control a second switching unit by detecting whether over-current is generated in a backward current path of the current sensor.

17. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the current sensor comprises a hall sensor.

18. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second over-current control circuits comprises:

an over-current sensing unit driven according to the voltage signal output from the current sensor; and

an over-current determination unit configured to generate a switching unit driving signal, the logic level of which is determined according to a duration of an output signal of the over-current sensing unit.

19. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 18, wherein the over-current sensing unit comprises an optical switching device.

20. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 18, wherein, when the output signal of the over-current sensing unit is maintained for a predetermined time or more, the over-current determination unit outputs the switching unit driving signal for turning off the first and second switching unit.

21. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the current sensor receives current flowing through a fuel battery module, transforms the current into a voltage signal, and outputs the voltage signal,

the first over-current control circuit detects over-current flowing via a charging path of the fuel battery module, and

the second over-current control circuit detects over-current flowing via a discharging path of the fuel battery module.

22. The over-current protection apparatus of claim 21, wherein the fuel battery module comprises a secondary battery module.